U.S. patent number 7,044,527 [Application Number 11/107,313] was granted by the patent office on 2006-05-16 for straddle-type vehicle.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha. Invention is credited to Kazuhiro Maeda, Ryo Nishizawa.
United States Patent |
7,044,527 |
Maeda , et al. |
May 16, 2006 |
Straddle-type vehicle
Abstract
A straddle-type vehicle including a front fender configured to
cover a front portion of a vehicle body of the vehicle, which is
provided with a concave portion formed integrally in the front
fender, the concave portion being configured to be recessed toward
a front wheel and to open outward of the vehicle body to form a
storage portion in which articles are placed for storage.
Inventors: |
Maeda; Kazuhiro (Akashi,
JP), Nishizawa; Ryo (Akashi, JP) |
Assignee: |
Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki
Kaisha (Kobe, JP)
|
Family
ID: |
35095543 |
Appl.
No.: |
11/107,313 |
Filed: |
April 15, 2005 |
Prior Publication Data
|
|
|
|
Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
|
US 20050230992 A1 |
Oct 20, 2005 |
|
Foreign Application Priority Data
|
|
|
|
|
Apr 16, 2004 [JP] |
|
|
2004-121773 |
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
296/37.1;
296/198 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B62J
15/00 (20130101); B62K 5/01 (20130101); B62K
19/46 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B60R
11/06 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;296/198,37.1,181.3 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
SHO 62-179880 |
|
Nov 1987 |
|
JP |
|
Primary Examiner: Morrow; Jason
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Alleman Hall McCoy Russell &
Tuttle LLP
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A straddle-type vehicle comprising: a front fender configured to
cover a front portion of a vehicle body of the vehicle, which is
provided with a concave portion having a bottom portion and being
formed integrally in the front fender, the concave portion being
configured to be recessed toward a front wheel and to open outward
of the vehicle body to form a storage portion in which articles are
placed for storage; and a tray which has a concave portion
conforming in shape to the concave portion of the front fender and
forming the storage portion; wherein the tray is configured to be
mountable to the front fender in such a manner that the concave
portion of the tray is fitted to the concave portion of the front
fender from a direction in which the concave portion of the front
fender opens; wherein the storage portion has a double-walled
bottom portion including the concave portion of the front fender
and the concave portion of the tray; and wherein a cover is
configured to be attachable to the tray to cover a part of the
concave portion of the tray.
2. The straddle-type vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the
concave portion of the front fender is provided with a penetrating
hole formed to penetrate the front fender to allow a bolt to be
inserted therethrough, and the tray is provided with a bolt hole
formed to conform to the penetrating hole with the concave portion
of the tray fitted to the concave portion of the front fender; and
wherein the tray is configured to be mountable to the concave
portion of the front fender in such a manner that the bolt is
fastened to the penetrating hole and the bolt hole with a seal
member.
3. The straddle-type vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the seal
member is tubular and has an inner peripheral portion provided with
a threaded portion with which-the bolt threadedly engages; and
wherein the seal member is configured to seal a clearance between
the penetrating hole and the bolt with the seal member fitted into
the penetrating hole of the front fender and the bolt threadedly
engaging with the threaded portion of the seal member.
4. The straddle-type vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the
concave portion of the front fender is provided with a bolt
receiving portion having a threaded hole which opens outward of the
front fender and does not penetrate the front fender, and the tray
is provided with a bolt hole formed to penetrate the tray to
conform to the threaded hole of the bolt receiving portion with the
concave portion of the tray fitted to the concave portion of the
front fender; and wherein the tray is configured to be mountable to
the concave portion of the front fender in such a manner that a
bolt is inserted through the bolt hole and is fastened to the
treaded hole of the bolt receiving portion.
5. A straddle-type vehicle comprising: a front fender configured to
cover a front portion of a vehicle body of the vehicle, which is
provided with a concave portion formed integrally in the front
fender, the concave portion being configured to be recessed toward
a front wheel and to open outward of the vehicle body to form a
storage portion in which articles are placed for storage; and a
cover configured to cover the concave portion; wherein the front
fender is configured to cover a front wheel from above and from
behind; wherein the concave portion of the front fender includes a
rear concave portion that is configured to have a bottom wall
extending substantially horizontally, a front wall extending upward
from a front end portion of the bottom wall and side walls
extending upward from lateral end portions of the bottom wall and
extending rearward from lateral end portions of the front wall, and
is configured to open rearward and upward in a rear fender section
of the front fender, which covers a rear portion of the front
wheel; wherein the cover is attached to the rear fender section so
as to be opposite to the front wall; and wherein the storage
portion includes the cover, the bottom wall, the front wall, and
the side walls and is configured to open upward.
6. The straddle-type vehicle according to claim 5, wherein the
concave portion of the front fender further includes an upper
concave portion that is formed in the upper fender section so as to
extend from the rear concave portion and is configured to open
upward.
7. The swaddle-type vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the
concave portion of the front fender includes a rear concave portion
that is configured to have a bottom wall extending substantially
horizontally, a front wall extending upward from a front end
portion of the bottom wall, and side walls extending upward from
lateral end portions of the bottom wall and extending rearward from
lateral end portions of the front wall, and wherein the concave
portion of the front fender is configured to open rearward and
upward in a rear fender section of the front fender, which covers a
rear portion of the front wheel; and wherein the concave portion of
the tray includes a rear concave portion that is configured to have
a bottom wall extending substantially horizontally, a front wall
extending upward from a front end portion of the bottom wall, and
side walls extending upward from lateral end portions of the bottom
wall and extending rearward from lateral end portions of the front
wall, and wherein the concave portion of the tray is configured to
open rearward and upward.
8. The straddle-type vehicle according to claim 7, wherein the
cover is attached to the tray so as to be opposite to the front
wall of the tray; and wherein the storage portion includes the
cover, the bottom wall of the tray, the front wall of the tray, and
the side walls of the tray and is configured to open upward.
9. The straddle-type vehicle according to claim 8, wherein the
cover is removably attached to the tray via hooks provided on the
tray.
10. The straddle-type vehicle according to claim 9, wherein the
cover has holes at a peripheral region thereof, with which the
hooks engage, and a net portion at a center region thereof that is
configured to be expandable and contractable.
11. The straddle-type vehicle according to claim 8, wherein the
concave portion of the front fender further includes an upper
concave portion that is formed in the upper fender section so as to
extend from the rear concave portion, and wherein the concave
portion is configured to open rearward.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a straddle-type vehicle such as a
four-wheeled vehicle and, particularly to a storage portion that is
provided in a front fender and that is configured to allow desired
articles to be placed therein for storage.
2. Description of the Related Art
Typically, a straddle-type vehicle is constructed such that front
wheels which are steering wheels are mounted to right and left
parts of a front portion of a vehicle body frame by suspension
units such as struts, and rear wheels which are driving wheels are
mounted to right and left parts of a rear portion of the vehicle
body frame by a suspension unit. A front fender and a rear fender
cover the front wheels and the rear wheels, respectively, to
inhibit splash of sand and dust or muddy water from flying in all
directions.
A steering shaft is pivotally mounted to the front portion of the
vehicle body frame. A handle is attached to an upper portion of the
steering shaft. A seat is mounted behind the handle and over an
upper portion of a substantially center section of a vehicle body.
Foot boards are mounted below and slightly forward of the seat.
Straddling the seat, the operator puts his or her feet on the foot
boards and grips the handle. Under this condition, the operator
steers the vehicle. When the operator steers the handle to the
right or to the left, the right and left front wheels are turned in
the same direction, thereby traveling the vehicle in a desired
direction.
Since the vehicle body of the above straddle-type vehicle typically
has a relatively small size, it is difficult to ensure a space for
a storage portion in which articles such as a map or a water bottle
are placed for storage. Japanese Utility Model Application
Publication No. Sho. 62-179880 discloses a straddle-type vehicle
provided with a storage portion in a front fender thereof.
Specifically, in the vehicle disclosed in this publication, a front
fender is mounted to cover front wheels from above and from behind,
and a cover member is mounted to the front fender by fastening
bolts from behind so as to surround a part of an outer wall of a
rear portion of the front fender to form the storage portion on the
front fender. The storage portion has a storage space defined by
the outer wall of the front fender and the cover member, and hence
protrudes rearward from the outer wall of the front fender.
Because of the relatively small size of the vehicle body, knees of
the operator are positioned in the vicinity of the outer wall of
the rear portion of the front fender with the operator straddling
the seat of the straddle-type vehicle. The knees of the operator
may contact the storage portion protruding from the outer wall of
the rear portion of the front fender. This may degrade riding
comfort.
More often than not, the straddle-type vehicle is used for purposes
of rough terrain travel. During the travel of the vehicle, splashes
of dust or sand, muddy water, etc, from the front wheels collide
against an inner wall of the front fender. In the above described
vehicle having the fender provided with the bolt fastening holes to
mount the cover member to the front fender, the muddy water may
enter the storage portion through a clearance between the bolt
holes and the bolts, and may contaminate articles in the storage
portion. Further, other structures for a storage portion mounted to
protrude from a fender of a straddle-type vehicle are disclosed in
U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,533,339 and 6,719,346.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention addresses the above described condition, and
an object of the present invention is to provide a straddle-type
vehicle equipped with a storage portion in which articles are
placed for storage, which is capable of inhibiting entry of splash
of muddy water from a front wheel.
According to the present invention, there is provided a
straddle-type vehicle comprising a front fender configured to cover
a front portion of a vehicle body of the vehicle, which is provided
with a concave portion formed integrally in the front fender, the
concave portion being configured to be recessed toward a front
wheel and to open outward of the vehicle body to form a storage
portion in which articles are placed for storage. In such a
construction, since the concave portion formed in the front fender
covering the front wheels forms the storage portion, the storage
portion does not protrude outward from the front fender, and hence
does not contact knees of an operator straddling a seat of the
vehicle. In addition, since the concave portion forming the storage
portion is formed integrally in the front fender, it is not
necessary to form bolt fastening holes in the front fender to mount
a cover member to form a storage portion to the front fender.
Because of the absence of the bolt holes, the muddy water does not
outflow onto an outer wall of the front fender from an inner wall
thereof.
The straddle-type vehicle may further comprise a tray which has a
concave portion conforming in shape to the concave portion of the
front fender and forming the storage portion. The tray may be
configured to be mountable to the front fender in such a manner
that the concave portion of the tray is fitted to the concave
portion of the front fender from a direction in which the concave
portion of the front fender opens, and a cover is configured to be
attachable to the tray to cover a part of the concave portion of
the tray. In such a structure, articles stored in the storage
portion may be held therein by the cover. In addition, since the
tray and the front fender are separate components, only the tray
may be replaced if worn by contact with the articles shaking in the
storage portion during the travel of the vehicle.
The concave portion of the front fender may be provided with a bolt
receiving portion having a threaded hole, and the tray may be
provided with a bolt hole formed to penetrate the tray to conform
to the threaded hole of the bolt receiving portion with the concave
portion of the tray fitted to the concave portion of the front
fender. The tray may be configured to be mountable to the concave
portion of the front fender in such a manner that a bolt is
inserted through the bolt hole and is fastened to the threaded hole
of the bolt receiving portion. In such a construction, the tray may
be threadedly mounted to the concave portion of the front fender
without bolt holes formed to penetrate the front fender. As a
result, entry of the muddy water into the storage portion can be
inhibited.
The concave portion of the front fender may be provided with a
penetrating hole formed to penetrate the front fender to allow a
bolt to be inserted therethrough, and the tray may be provided with
a bolt hole formed to conform to the penetrating hole with the
concave portion of the tray fitted to the concave portion of the
front fender. The tray may be configured to be mountable to the
concave portion of the front fender in such a manner that the bolt
is fastened to the penetrating hole and the bolt hole with a seal
member. In such a structure, by threadedly engaging the tray with
the penetrating hole of the front fender, entry of the muddy water
into the storage portion can be inhibited.
The seal member may be tubular and have an inner peripheral portion
provided with a threaded portion with which the bolt threadedly
engages. The seal member may be configured to seal a clearance
between the penetrating hole and the bolt with the seal member
fitted into the penetrating hole of the front fender and the bolt
threadedly engaging with the threaded portion of the seal
member.
The front fender may be configured to cover a front wheel from
above and from behind. The concave portion of the front fender may
be formed in a rear portion of the front fender. Such a structure
allows the storage portion to be easily accessible to the operator
straddling the seat of the vehicle.
The concave portion of the front fender may be configured to extend
from a rear fender section configured to cover a rear portion of
the front wheel to an upper fender section configured to cover an
upper portion of the front wheel. The concave portion of the front
fender may include a rear concave portion formed in the rear fender
section and an upper concave portion formed in the upper fender
section. In such a structure, a volume of the storage portion can
be increased.
The straddle-type vehicle may further comprise a tray that has a
concave portion conforming in shape to the concave portion of the
front fender and forming the storage portion. The concave portion
of the tray may include a rear concave portion and an upper concave
portion which conform in shape to the rear concave portion and the
upper concave portion of the front fender, respectively. The tray
may be configured to be mountable to the front fender in such a
manner that the concave portion of the tray is fitted to the
concave portion of the front fender from a direction in which the
concave portion of the front fender opens. A cover may be
configured to be attachable to the tray to cover the rear concave
portion of the tray. In this case, in a vehicle equipped with a
carrier above the front fender to allow luggage to be placed
thereon, it is possible to inhibit the luggage or a luggage
mounting member such as a belt from contacting an upper face of the
front fender during travel of the vehicle. As a result, the upper
face of the front fender is not damaged.
The above and further objects and features of the invention will
more fully be apparent from the following detailed description with
accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a side view of a straddle-type vehicle according to an
embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is an exploded view showing a schematic construction of a
storage portion provided in a front fender of the straddle-type
vehicle of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged plan view of a left portion of the
front fender of FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a rear view of the front fender, taken in the direction
of an arrow IV of FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 is an exploded view of a tray and a net cover of the storage
portion of FIG. 2;
FIG. 6 is a side cross-sectional view of the tray of FIG. 5;
FIG. 7 is a partially enlarged view showing a detailed structure of
a hook of FIG. 5;
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along line
VIII--VIII of FIG. 5, showing a configuration in which the tray is
mounted to a concave portion of the front fender;
FIG. 9 is a partial plan view of the vehicle, showing a structure
surrounding the storage portion of FIG. 2;
FIG. 10 is a side view of the vehicle, taken in the direction of an
arrow X of FIG. 9; and
FIG. 11 is a partial cross-sectional view showing another
configuration in which the tray is mounted to the concave portion
of the front fender.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Hereinafter, a straddle-type vehicle according to an embodiment of
the present invention will be described with reference to the
drawings. Referring now to FIG. 1, a straddle-type vehicle 1 is
suitable for use in travel in rough terrain. The vehicle 1
comprises a vehicle body frame 2 forming a frame of a vehicle body,
a part of which is shown in FIG. 1, right and left front wheels 3
rotatably mounted to a front portion of the vehicle body frame 2,
and right and left rear wheels 4 rotatably mounted to a rear
portion of the vehicle body frame 2. The vehicle 1 is equipped with
McPherson strut type suspension devices 5 which are configured to
suspend the front wheels 3 and which serve to limit a movable range
of the front wheels 3 which are vertically movable.
A steering shaft 6 is pivotally mounted to the front portion of the
vehicle body frame 2. A bar-type steering handle 7 is attached to
an upper portion of the steering shaft 6. By rotating the handle 7
to the right or to the left, an operation of the handle 7 is
transmitted to the wheels 3 through the steering shaft 6, a knuckle
arm (not shown) and the like, thereby causing the front wheels 3 to
be turned to the left or to the right. An engine E is mounted at a
substantially center section of the vehicle body frame 2 in a
longitudinal direction of the vehicle 1. The engine E is configured
to generate a power output according to an operator's rotation of a
throttle grip (not shown) attached to a right end portion of the
handle 7. The power output generated in the engine E is transmitted
to the rear wheels 4 through a transmission (not shown), thereby
causing the rear wheels 4 to rotate. As a result, the vehicle 1
gains a driving force.
The front portion and the rear portion of the vehicle 1 are covered
by a front fender 10 and a rear fender 11, respectively. A front
carrier 12 is mounted above the front fender 10 with a clearance
between the front carrier 12 and an upper face of the front fender
10. A rear carrier 13 is mounted above the rear fender 11 with a
clearance between the rear carrier 13 and an upper face of the rear
fender 11. The front fender 10 is provided with a storage portion
20 in which articles are placed therein for storage, which will be
described later.
A side cover 15 is provided between the front fender 10 and the
rear fender 11 so as to cover side portions of the center section
of the vehicle 1 in the longitudinal direction. A seat 16 is
mounted over an upper portion of the side cover 15 to be located
behind the handle 7. Foot boards 17 are mounted under the side
cover 15 to allow the operator straddling the seat 16 to put his or
her feet thereon.
FIG. 2 is an exploded view schematically showing a construction of
the storage portions 20 provided in the front fender 10. As shown
in FIG. 2, the front fender 10 includes a center section 10A
configured to cover a portion of the front portion of the vehicle 1
(see FIG. 1) which is located at a substantially center position in
a lateral direction thereof, and side sections (tire housings) 10B
disposed on right and left sides of the centre section 10A and
configured to cover the front wheels 3 (FIG. 1). Concave portions
21 are formed integrally in the tire housings 10B. Each storage
portion 20 is structured such that a tray 22 conforming in shape to
the concave portion 21 is fitted to the concave portion 21 of the
tire housing 10B, and a net cover 23 is attached to the tray
22.
FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged plan view of a left portion of the
front fender 10. FIG. 4 is a rear view of the front fender 10,
taken in the direction of an arrow IV of FIG. 3. As shown in FIGS.
2 to 4, the front fender 10 has a unitary molded structure
manufactured using a resin mold. Each tire housing 10B includes a
rear fender section 25 configured to cover the front wheel 3 from
behind and an upper fender section 26 configured to cover the front
wheel 3 from above.
The concave portion 21 is formed integrally in an upper portion of
the rear fender section 25 to be recessed inward of the tire
housing 10B (forward toward the front wheel 3). The concave portion
21 extends from an upper portion of the rear fender section 25,
through a rear portion of the upper fender section 26, and forward
in the upper fender section 26. In other words, the concave portion
21 is formed integrally in the tire housing 10B to extend from the
upper portion of the rear fender section 25 to a substantially
center position of the upper fender section 26 in a longitudinal
direction of the upper fender section 26. Therefore, the concave
portion 21 is recessed downward in the upper fender section 26
(toward the front wheel 3).
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the concave portion 21 includes a rear
concave portion 32 formed in the rear fender section 25 and an
upper concave portion 33 formed in the upper fender section 26. The
rear concave portion 32 is defined by a bottom face 32A, right and
left side faces 32B, and a front face 32C and is configured to be
recessed forward. The upper concave portion 33 has a bottom face
33A and is recessed to have a small depth. A plurality of bolt
receiving portions 35 are provided on a peripheral edge portion 33B
of the upper concave portion 33 to allow the tray 22 to be mounted
to the concave portion 21 of the front fender 10. The bolt
receiving portions 35 are spaced apart from the bottom face 33A and
are configured to protrude inward from the peripheral edge portion
33B. The bolt receiving portions 35 have threaded holes 35A formed
in resin pieces protruding inward from the peripheral edge portion
33B. Bolts 48 (see FIG. 5) are respectively fastened to the
threaded holes 35A. In this structure, the tray 22 is mounted to
the tire housing 10B of the front fender 10 without holes formed to
penetrate the front fender 10. By fastening the bolts 48 (see FIG.
5) to the threaded holes 35A formed in the bolt receiving portions
35, the tray 22 is fixed to the front fender 22.
FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the tray 22 and the net cover 23.
FIG. 6 is a side cross-sectional view of the tray 22 which is
sectioned along the longitudinal direction so as to pass through
the center in the lateral direction. As shown in FIG. 5, the tray
22 has a unitary injection-molded structure manufactured using a
resin mold. As shown in FIG. 6, the tray 22 is bent as viewed from
the side. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the tray 22 has a concave
portion 41 conforming in shape to the concave portion 21 formed in
the tire housing 10B of FIG. 3. The concave portion 41 formed in
the tray 22 has a rear concave portion 42 conforming in shape to
the rear concave portion 32 formed in the rear fender section 25
and an upper concave portion 43 conforming in shape to the upper
concave portion 33 formed in the upper fender section 26.
As in the rear concave portion 32 of the front fender 10, the rear
concave portion 42 of the tray 22 is defined by a bottom face 42A,
right and left side faces 42B, and a front face 42C. As in the
upper concave portion 33 of the front fender 10, the upper concave
portion 43 of the tray 22 has a bottom face 43A and has a small
depth. A peripheral portion 44 is formed in an outer peripheral
region of the tray 22 to enclose the rear concave portion 42 and
the upper concave portion 43 of the tray 22. Hooks 45 are formed
integrally on a region of the peripheral portion 44 of the tray 22
so as to correspond to an outer peripheral portion of the rear
concave portion 42.
FIG. 7 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 5, showing a detailed
structure of the hook 45. As shown in FIG. 7, the hook 45 is
claw-shaped and is shaped to protrude outward from the peripheral
portion 44 of the tray 22. A hole 45A is formed in the vicinity of
a base portion of the hook 45 to penetrate the peripheral portion
44. In this embodiment, the hook 45 is formed by injection-molding
the resin tray 22 by a simple method and at a low cost, thereby
resulting in the hole 45A.
The net cover 23 of FIG. 5 is made of flexible synthetic resin. The
net cover 23 includes a peripheral edge portion 23A and a net
portion 23B formed inward of the peripheral edge portion 23A. A
plurality of hook holes 23C are formed to penetrate the peripheral
edge portion 23A. The net cover 23 is disposed to cover the rear
concave portion 42 of the tray 22 from behind such that the rear
concave portion 42 opens upward. The net cover 23 is attached to
the tray 22 in such a manner that the hook holes 23C are brought
into engagement with the hooks 45 formed integrally on the tray 22
(see FIG. 7). A plurality of boss portions 47 are formed on a
region of the peripheral portion 44 of the tray 22 so as to
correspond to an outer peripheral portion of the upper concave
portion 43 and are provided with bolt holes 47A. The tray 22 is
mounted to the concave portion 21 formed in the tire housing 10B by
threadedly engaging bolts 48 with the bolt holes 47A formed in the
boss portions 47.
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along line
VIII--VIII of FIG. 5, showing a configuration in which the tray 22
is mounted to the concave portion 21 of the tire housing 10B. As
shown in FIG. 8, the tray 22 covers the concave portion 21 of the
tire housing 10B from above, i.e., from the direction in which the
concave portion 21 opens such that the threaded holes 35A of the
tire housing 10B conform to the bolt holes 47A of the tray 22.
Under this condition, the bolts 48 inserted through the bolt holes
47A are threadedly engaged with the threaded holes 35A of the bolt
receiving portions 35. As a result, the tray 22 is mounted to the
concave portion 21 of the tire housing 10B in such a manner that
the tray 22 is fitted to the concave portion 21 as viewed from the
direction in which the concave portion 21 opens.
In this embodiment, the tray 22 forms the storage portion 20. More
specifically, the storage portion 20 includes a rear storage
portion 51 having a storage space formed by the rear concave
portion 42 of the tray 22 and the net cover 23 and configured to
open upward, and an upper storage portion 52 having a storage space
formed by the upper concave portion 43 of the tray 22 (see FIG. 5).
It will be appreciated that a net cover may alternatively be
provided to cover the upper storage portion 52 from above. In this
case, articles stored in the upper storage portion 52 are fixed by
the net cover to be stably stored therein during the travel of the
vehicle 1.
FIG. 9 is a partial plan view of the vehicle 1, showing a structure
surrounding the storage portion 20. FIG. 10 is a side view of the
vehicle 1, taken in the direction of an arrow X of FIG. 9. As shown
in FIGS. 9 and 10, the storage portion 20 is located below the
handle 7 to allow the operator straddling the seat 16 to easily
access the storage portion 20. Since the storage portion 20 is
recessed inward (toward the front wheel 3) so as not to protrude
from the outer wall of the front fender 10, knees of the operator
straddling the seat 16 do not substantially contact the storage
portion 20.
The upper concave portion 43 of the tray 22 forming the storage
portion 20 is located below a rear portion of the front carrier 12.
As shown in FIG. 10, an upper face of the front fender 10 is
inclined forward and downward, and a space between the front fender
10 and the front carrier 12 is shaped such that a front space L1 is
larger than a rear space L2. In this structure, luggage B placed on
the front carrier 12 may protrude and contact a portion of the
front fender 10 which is just below the rear portion of the front
carrier 12. However, because of the presence of the tray 22
provided below the rear portion of the front carrier 12 as
described above, the protruding luggage B may not directly contact
the front fender 10. Therefore, an upper face of the front fender
10 is not damaged.
As shown in FIG. 10, the storage portion 20 is positioned in view
of a movable range of the vertically movable front wheel 3 which is
limited by the suspension device 5. Specifically, the concave
portion 21 formed in the tire housing 10B of the front fender 10
and configured to form the storage portion 20 is positioned not to
contact the front wheel 3 when moved to an uppermost position
within the movable range. That is, the concave portion 21 is
recessed downward from the upper face of the tire housing 10B so as
not to contact the front wheel 3 located at the uppermost position.
Although not shown, a storage portion on the right side of the
vehicle 1 is similarly configured as in the storage portion 20 on
the left side of the vehicle 1, shown in FIGS. 3 through 10.
In accordance with the straddle-type vehicle 1 according to this
embodiment, the tray 22 and the net cover 23 are mounted to the
front fender 10 to form the storage portion 20 without holes formed
to penetrate the front fender 10. Therefore, it is possible to
inhibit the storage portion 20 from being contaminated by splash of
muddy water from the front wheel 3 during the travel of the vehicle
1. In addition, since the storage portion 20 is formed to be
recessed relative to the outer wall of the front fender 10, the
knees of the operator straddling the seat 16 do not substantially
contact the storage portion 20. Further, it is possible to inhibit
contact between the front fender 10 and the luggage B placed on the
front carrier 12, which may damage the front fender 10.
While the tray 22 is mounted to the front fender 10 by the
fastening bolts without providing the holes in the tire housing 10B
of the front fender 10 in the embodiment thus far described, it may
alternatively be mounted to the front fender 10 by threadedly
engaging bolts with the holes formed to penetrate the front fender
10, so long as the entry of the muddy water can be effectively
prevented.
FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing another configuration in
which the tray 22 is mounted to the concave portion 21 formed in
the tire housing 10B. As shown in FIG. 11, a penetrating hole 60 is
formed in the vicinity of a peripheral edge portion 33B of the
concave portion 21 of the tire housing 10B so as to penetrate the
tire housing 10B, and a bolt hole 61 is formed in the tray 22 to
conform to the penetrating hole 60 with the tray 22 covering the
concave portion 21. The penetrating hole 60 has a diameter larger
than that of the bolt hole 61. A tubular and flexible rubber seal
member 62 is fitted into the penetrating hole 60.
The seal member 62 has a water-proof structure and is a nut having
a threaded inner peripheral portion. The seal member 62 is
threadedly mountable to the bolt 66 with the seal member 62 fitted
into the penetrating hole 60, thereby sealing a clearance between
the penetrating hole 60 and the bolt 66. More specifically, a
flange portion 63 is formed to protrude radially outward from an
outer peripheral face of one end of the seal member 62. A female
threaded portion 65 is formed on an inner peripheral face of an
opposite end portion of the seal member 62. With the opposite end
portion of the seal member 62 located on the inner side, the seal
member 62 is fitted into the penetrating hole 60 from outside the
tire housing 10B.
With the tray 22 covering the concave portion 21 of the tire
housing 10B, the bolt 66 is inserted through the bolt hole 61 of
the tray 22 and is threadedly engaged with the female threaded
portion 65 of the seal member 62 fitted into the penetrating hole
60 of the tire housing 10B. Under this condition, the bolt 66 is
fastened to cause the flexible seal member 62 to contract in an
axial direction thereof but to expand in a radial direction thereof
so as to increase an outer diameter portion thereof, thus
accomplishing sealing of the penetrating hole 60 of the tire
housing 10B. With this structure, it is possible to inhibit the
splash of the muddy water from the front wheel 3 from flowing into
the storage portion 20 through the penetrating hole 60 and the bolt
hole 61 during the travel of the vehicle.
While the tray 22 is mounted to the concave portion 21 of the tire
housing 10B of the front fender 10 to form the storage portion 20
in the embodiments described above, the concave portion 21 itself
may alternatively serve as a storage portion without the tray 22.
In this case, protruding hooks may be formed on the peripheral edge
portion of the concave portion 21, and a net cover may engage with
the hooks to be mounted to the concave portion 21.
As this invention may be embodied in several forms without
departing from the spirit of essential characteristics thereof, the
present embodiment is therefore illustrative and not restrictive,
since the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims
rather than by the description preceding them, and all changes that
fall within metes and bounds of the claims, or equivalence of such
metes and bounds thereof are therefore intended to be embraced by
the claims.
* * * * *